Tournament of the 18 Types
by Inspiration Within
Summary: 20-year old Ash Ketchum has become champion of Kanto. But as his mother falls ill, Team Rocket begins to rise again, and he's faced with the fury of a few females, Ash's life turns upside-down. To make things more hectic, he also is entered in a tournament that forces trainers to use a specific type. With his title and life on the line, how will he win, and how much will he lose?
1. Every Journey Starts Somewhere

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.

A/N: **Greetings, all Pokémon fans! I am... I don't know my pen-name. Awkward. Anyways! I am someone, I guess, but I like writing! And Pokémon! So, I'm going to Pokémon write! Wait... no... I mean, I'm going to write Pokémon. That's better. Anyways, this story idea is somewhat used, but yet, I haven't seen it so far. Basically, I've seen people write a LOT of tournament stories- a lot of them being very good. But they mostly center around Ash losing something, then getting insanely strong and dark and being abandon by his friends or something. Although those are super interesting to read, there's a lot of them, and I feel like I wanna try to branch out a bit. So I'm going to try this.**

**Summary: This story focuses on a tournament, which, is nothing new. But this special tournament is divided into 18-types. Essentially, each trainer may only use one type- and the top trainer from each type moves on to face everyone once. Then, eliminations begin and honestly, this story could be very long. Obviously, there'd be the central focus: winning the tournament. But there also needs to be a side-goal, side-story, and multiple arcs. So that's going to be revealed eventually, but not now. Also, I'm thinking about including romance, but so far, I haven't decided on a specific pairing. So... we'll have to see. That'll be up to you- the reader.**

**Warnings: Language will be a thing occasionally. Also, dark themes may become somewhat prevalent later on, along with descriptive injury, possible death and blood. But that won't (hopefully) be the norm. **

**Romance: Undecided. Review what you want to see. Anything, and from there, we'll decide.**

**Characters: So far, Ash is really the ONLY for-sure character. That's where you guys come in. I'm looking for both Anime characters AND even O.C.'s who may possibly be able to be added in. This is meant to elaborate upon the story, but I may decide against O.C's if they become too... I don't know, dictating. So, we'll see what you want- if it's O.C.'s to be included, or to be left out. Once again, review those opinions, it'll help mold the story.**

**Finally, I don't want any flames. Sorry, I'm not a big guy no nonsense bashing. But reviews ARE very helpful, and really good for motivation. So please, ANYONE can review, so don't be shy. **

**Sorry about the long A/N, but it's over now, so lets get into the action.**

* * *

Silence.

For the first time throughout the entire tournament, there was a deafening silence that had fallen upon the crowd like a thick blanket. Nobody made a sound, in fear that it would interrupt the fierce stare-down between the two powerful Pokémon. Bruises discolored the delicate skin and shallow lacerations leaked a viscous ruby liquid that smeared upon movement. Tension replaced the competitiveness as pride sat on the line, dangling with a tantalizing gleam as both combatants stared one another down.

The trainers- the two individuals who dedicated their entire journey into training their companions to be the very best they could possibly be- held their breath and refused to look away from their partners in the fear that once they looked away, they would fall over, unable to continue. Thoughts raced through their minds at a million miles per hour, circling around the fear of pushing their best friends too far. But they trusted their partners- they knew what step was too far.

A single breath was exhaled, and time slowed down to a crawl for both trainers as one Pokémon lurched forward. His breath hitched and his eyes, once sharp and determined to stay focused, closed as the strain from the battle overtook his consciousness. Seconds passed as finally, the Pokémon went down in a heap, hitting the dirt field with a loud thud and sending a cloud of dirt from underneath his body.

_"And Typhlosion is DOWN!" _The booming voice of the M.C. thundered throughout the stadium as both trainers realized what had happened.

"Typhlosion..." The trainer mumbled quietly, the reality of the situation fully dawning on his mind.

The fire-type didn't move.

"Typhlosion is unable to battle! The green trainer is out of usable Pokémon, and that means, Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town retains his title!"

Ash Ketchum- also known as the red trainer- finally released the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. His heart began to slow down back to its regular speed, the adrenaline leaving his body as exhaustion overtook his once tense muscles. Finally, he thought, it ends.

_"What an UNBELIEVABLE battle! By the hair on his head, Ash Ketchum has protected his title as Kanto Champion, defeating Kai Roberts in a fierce six-on-six battle!" _

Pikachu- the valiant combatant for Ash- sighed as it could finally relax, as it fell to its belly, having been stuck on all-fours for too long. Its muscles screamed in fatigue and its wounds seemed to seep any remaining energy from its body, causing its vision to distort. A soft touch, however, registered as all of a sudden, Pikachu found himself pulled into the air and pulled against a firm surface.

"You did excellent, Pikachu." Ah, Pikapi.

"Chu..." Pikachu mumbled quietly, prepared to sleep off its damage. Ash couldn't help but smile as the small, but powerful, electric-type began to snore softly, finally getting the rest it deserved. He ran his fingers through Pikachu's thin fur, feeling the Pokémon adjust slightly in its sleep.

"Typhlosion," Ash, although usually not condoning eavesdropping, couldn't help but hear the exchange between the trainer he'd just defeated, and his Pokémon. "You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. You were absolutely, unequivocally, phenomenal. You have the heart of a champion- I owe everything to you, and the rest of the team. We'll train more- and we'll win next time, okay?"

The normally active fire-type mumbled softly, which Ash took as its agreement.

"You deserve a long rest, okay? I'll get you to a Pokémon Center, just rest." Ash looked over to see the trainer return his Pokémon in a flash of red energy. Once Typhlosion was safely in his Pokéball, the trainer seemed to stare at it for a few moments, before sighing quietly, and clipping it back to his belt. Ash immediately recognized the look that had embedded itself on the trainer's face- guilt.

Guilt from letting his teammates down in the moment it mattered the most. Guilt from letting them get hurt to such a high extent. Guilt from failing to win- when everything was on the line.

Ash knew it could destroy him if no one was there for him. And judging by the lack of companions in his guest box, he'd say he was here on his own.

"Hey." Ash stood up, Pikachu still in his arms, and faced the trainer. "Don't be hard on yourself, you battled excellent."

The trainer grimaced, not satisfied with the pick-up words. "My Pokémon battled excellent, yes. But I didn't. I need to be better for them."

Ash was silent. Though the trainer _did_ battle well, he brought up an excellent point- one that Ash constantly battled himself over. Instead of continuing the conversation, Ash decided to take the better route.

"Listen, I need to face the press." Ash grimaced as he said it. He _hated _the press. Out of all the cons of being the Champion, the press-conferences were the worst. "But, I'd like to talk to you, if you don't mind. Would you care to wait for me at the Pokémon Center desk?"

The trainer- Kai, as Ash remembered the M.C. calling him- seemed slightly surprised, but obliged with a nod.

"I can meet you there. Um," Kai fidgeted. "Would you like me to take your Pokémon to the Center, too? I mean, since you have to deal with the press."

Ash shook his head respectfully. "No, but thank you. I've got my personal doctor who would like to look them over. He's... an old friend, and I trust he'd be able to do more than Nurse Joy might, no offense to her, or her cousins." Ash considered something a moment, and corrected his offer from earlier. "If you'd also like, he can look at yours, too."

"Please. That would be excellent."

Ash nodded, but said nothing more as he delicately moved Pikachu into his backpack for safe keeping. The mouse Pokémon did nothing to resist the transfer, seemingly in a deep rest. Ash snorted to himself- it was almost like his Pikachu knew Rest. If only, he thought to himself. It would certainly save him a lot of trouble in-battle, since Pikachu lacked a reliable recovery move.

"Follow me," Ash beckoned. Ash waved to the crowd, who cheered loudly for the Champion, as he departed through his tunnel, with Kai closely behind. The thunderous chanting of the fans echoed even into the tunnel, something Kai had noted when he'd first entered his own tunnel, back when the battle was beginning. There was no noticeable difference between tunnels, however, there was a much larger room at the end, where the trainers- or in this case, Champion- prepared for battle and planned during the 15-minute break.

Kai kept silent as Ash walked confidently and quietly into his room, where a man stood. The man, dressed in casual apparel, smiled at Ash warmly as the two greeted each other. Judging by their exchange, it was easy to see they'd been friends for quite some time.

"Brock; it's great to see you back."

The man- Brock- shrugged with the smile still on his face. "Well, what can I say? The Grand Festival was fairly quick this year."

Ash grinned. "Was it weird not seeing May or Dawn participate?"

Brock laughed, and nodded his confirmation.

"I think it'll be more weird having them in the same Grand Festival, actually. They've never done that before."

"Maybe they'll have a big tournament someday for all previous top-coordinators," Ash commented. "That'd be something- can you imagine Dawn's mother against Dawn in a tournament?"

Brock shook his head. "Maybe you could propose it to the Board of Pokémon?"

"Maybe later, but for now, care to do me a favor?"

Brock scoffed jokingly. "Ash, do you even need to ask? Technically, you employ me, so you don't even need to chalk it up to a favor."

"Thanks," Ash said. "But there's also the trainer behind me. I'd like you to look at his Pokémon, as well."

For the first time, it seemed like Brock noticed the trainer behind Ash. Despite the fact that they were of similar height, it was apparent Ash's rigorous training regime had its effects, as Ash was noticeably more muscular than the trainer behind him. Regardless, both Ash and the trainer emitted an aura of power that Brock couldn't help but respect.

Brock stepped forward and stuck out his hand. "Brock Harrison; former gym leader of Pewter City, and current Pokémon Doctor. It's nice to meet you."

"Uh, Kai Roberts. I'm only a trainer."

Brock laughed good-naturedly. "Nothing wrong with that."

"Listen, you two can talk a bit, and I'll meet up with you later. But... for now, I have to go face the Mandibuzzes," Ash said, the same grimace from earlier appearing on his face. He handed Brock his belt with his Pokéballs, and his backpack that contained Pikachu. "Wish me luck."

"Don't forget to appeal to the girls!" Brock joked, which got a rather annoyed glare from Ash as he closed the door behind him, sealing his fate to the press's hands. Once the door was closed, the room fell into silence.

"He'll probably be awhile," Brock commented. "In the mean time, why not come with me and we'll get your Pokémon healed up."

Kai nodded, having no other response. As the two walked, Kai couldn't help but draw comparisons between the two attitudes of Brock versus Ash. Despite Ash's polite attitude and thoughtful actions, Kai couldn't help but notice the relative withdrawn personality and lack of overbearing emotion- unlike that of Brock, who seemed to be relatively carefree and didn't have an issue joking about.

"So, Kai," Brock said, breaking the silence, along with Kai's train of thought. "What did you think of Ash's battle skill?"

Kai shivered as he recounted the battle. "Unbelievable. He manipulates the battlefield like no one I've ever battled."

"That's Ash in a nutshell. He's always been able to do that. It's just his own personal ability- everyone seems to have their own niche." Brock paused, as if considering his words. "Notice how someone like Cynthia is an expert at counter-measures. You launch an attack, she's there to send it back, or counter it. Lance was always about power. Wallace was about elegance. I could go on. Everyone has their own talents- Ash just got something that can be used everywhere."

"Yeah, so I noticed. Although, I never thought he'd be so..."

Brock gave Kai a quick look. "Harsh?"

Kai shook his head, still thinking. It wasn't harsh, though, it was far from warm and energetic like he'd seen in the past. It seemed... closed.

"He's not like he used to be."

Kai almost ran into Brock, as the doctor froze. "So, you noticed too?"

"I remember seeing him on television. Back when I'd be traversing through the regions, I'd sometimes get into town early enough to watch him battle in a league. For instance, I saw his battle against Gary in the Silver Conference nearly... wow, just about 8 years ago, I think. It was the first time I'd ever seen such a big battle. I'd only been scraping the bottom the barrel at the time."

Kai took a breath in, remembering his own path and how it'd been redirected following that battle. Unbeknownst to him, he clenched his fists as he felt the fire flow within him.

"The excitement he had after winning that battle was... it inspired me, honestly. It made you realize how much a battle could mean to someone."

A silence fell over the two as Brock said nothing.

"Here," Brock said. "We gotta go up to the tenth floor- that's where Ash's dorm is, and where we'll get all the Pokémon healed."

"Okay." Kai went quiet before finally speaking aloud. "I wonder how Ash is doing?"

* * *

"Mr. Ketchum! Mr. Ketchum!"

"Mr. Champion, over here!"

"Excuse me, Mr. Ketchum, can I have a word please?!"

Ash resisted the urge to shout whatever seemed appropriate- mostly because, what he had to say _wasn't_appropriate. The last thing he needed was to have the public looking upon him like he was a verbal menace. No, he had other people who thought that- he didn't need to add the entire region to that list.

"Listen!" Ash cringed slightly, hearing the voice of his public relations officer. He didn't know her name- it changed too far frequently for him to keep track of- but he did know she had a big voice. "Mr. Ketchum is only going to be answering a few _battle-related _questions. Anyone who does not oblige by this will be forcibly removed. Understand?"

There was a silence for half a second, and the woman turned to Ash with a blank face.

"You've got ten minutes. That's it."

Just like that, she was gone, and Ash had to take an seat in an uncomfortable plastic chair. He shifted as he pulled himself to the table in front of him, preparing his mind for the onslaught of personal questions. Ash decided to just jump in feet-first, and pointed to a man with a bald head and pin-striped suit. The man waisted no time.

"What was your personal opinion of the battle today?"

Simple enough, Ash thought.

"It was good. Everyone I battled aside was excellent and I couldn't have asked for anymore. They did their best, and I know I have no regrets. It's just about continued growth- there's no perfection."

A clamor of chatter began, which Ash silenced with a simple hand gesture. He then pointed to a woman in a blue suit and hair in a bun. He had quickly realized back when he became the Kanto Champion, that it was easiest to identify the press by their hair and suits. They all seemed different and wanted to stand out during conferences such as this.

The woman aimed her microphone up higher as she spoke. "If you could have done something different in today's battle, what would you have done?"

"That's an easier said than done question," Ash said. Drawing a few confused looks, Ash elaborated. "I don't believe anything I could have done would have changed the entire outcome. There's no moment I specifically remember that a different choice could have altered the battle."

"So your Pokémon just weren't as good?"

Ash grit his teeth, but thankfully, no camera was zoomed in enough. He took a deep breath to calm himself, and prevent any rash replies.

"Was it the fact that my Pokémon weren't as good, as much as it could have been the challenger's Pokémon were simply well-raised? There's no reason to assume that his Pokémon were incapable of holding their own against my own team. This trainer has been in the circuit for just as long as I have- if not off by a year or two. In our line of work, it's simply put, some trainers have different experiences and there's no reason someone young can't beat someone old. And neither of us are what you'd call old."

There was a chorus of chuckles as Ash finished his short speech. Even Ash himself had a small smile.

"Mr. Ketchum?"

Ash raised an eyebrow at the boldness of the reporter, but allowed him his question.

"Yes?"

"Are you going to take part in the Tournament of the 18 Types?"

Ash's face morphed into a frown. He immediately began to rack his brain for information concerning the tournament, but found he couldn't recall anything on the issue. At least, he didn't recall ever being informed of it.

"I decline to comment," Ash said calmly, going with his safe answer. If he ever didn't know something, he found it better to decline a comment than to admit he was unaware- anyone who wanted gossip or to hurt his image would get infinite ammunition when he publicly admitted he didn't know something. They'd spin the statement through a thick web of lies to make Ash look like a fool.

The reporter seemed unsatisfied, however, another man shot out a question before he could say anything.

"What is your comment on the health of your mother? Does it influence your battling?"

Ash froze. All his mental processes locked up and for a split second, Ash found his mouth unable to speak a sentence. Luckily, it seemed, Arceus was on his side today, because the woman from earlier stepped in with an angry scowl on her face.

"I said ONLY QUESTIONS THAT INVOLVED THE BATTLE!" She screeched, angrily calling security down on the nosy reporter. Ash, however, was too numb to see the scenario unfolding. He stood up abruptly and walked out of the conference, the press immediately noticing his rapid departure and trying their best to pursue him, only to meet a thick band of security.

Still, Ash's mind cared about only one thing now.

His mother's health.

* * *

"So, you're saying..."

"Uh-huh."

"That's... I mean..."

"I know."

"Over a Pikachu?"

Brock laughed even harder. "That's right."

Kai grimaced. "That's so messed up."

"Girls will do a lot of things to get with the Champion. Especially if they could mate their Pokémon with his Pikachu. It's his most powerful and loyal Pokémon."

Kai was silent before, "but they'd seriously try to stab one another?"

"You'll see someday."

Their conversation was interrupted by the ding of the elevator, and the opening of the automatic doors. Both heads turned to see Ash in a rather withdrawn state.

"Ash, are you okay?" Brock asked quickly, seeing the sunken look of Ash's brown eyes. The champion sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose and throwing himself onto the couch that was across from Kai and Brock. Kai, noticing the situation, scrambled to his feet.

"I- uh, I'm going to go check my Pokémon. I'll... be right back."

Before Ash or Brock could say anything, the trainer was gone, leaving nothing behind to follow. Brock didn't waist a second rounding on Ash.

"What's wrong?"

Ash sent him a look that clearly read, '_don't-ask'._

Still, Brock persisted. "You can't escape me, you know. I'm not going away."

Ash sighed. He looked over at Brock once, seeing the concerned look on the older doctor's face. Time had only strengthen their brotherly bond, and now, Ash felt his mental blockade crumbling. He took a breath in to steel his nerves.

"I'm... worried, Brock." Although Ash hadn't meant to use 'worried', the former Pewter City gym-leader knew exactly what the 20-year old meant. He'd gone through it once before, and he knew exactly how hard it could be on someone's nerves. How quickly their mind could be broken by the constant fear of losing that of whom was closest.

Brock knew exactly what Ash was going through, and he'd be damned if he wasn't there for Ash, like Ash had been there for him.

Slowly, Brock put a hand on Ash's shoulder. "Listen. You're not alone, okay? I know this is... new. It's hard. I won't lie. This is probably the hardest thing you've ever gone through. But you have to let people in- you have to let _me _in. I know what you're feeling, and closing yourself off may _seem _like the best thing, but it isn't. It'll only make things harder in the long run."

"But how do I stay strong if... if she gets worse?" Ash's voice was low and quiet, as if he feared speaking too loudly would cause his fears to come true.

Brock sighed. "You don't."

Ash looked at him, somewhat surprised, and even more worried. Even after twenty years of living, Ash was still growing, Brock noted. Then again, he thought, he was too.

"You can't be strong all the time. If you try to be, you'll find that when you actually need to be strong, you'll fail."

"I don't want to fail her."

Brock pulled Ash into a tight hug. He felt Ash stiffen, but slowly, accept the hug.

"You can't fail her- never in a million years, Ash."

"I'm a... a-afr-" Ash stammered, unable to finish the word.

Brock knew what he meant. "I'd be concerned if you weren't."

"Will she be okay?"

"Delia's a strong woman- she's your mother. If anyone can be okay, it's her."

Ash went silent, accepting the things he heard Brock say. Before he could say anything else, a ringing came from his wrist, where he kept his X-Transceiver. Quickly, Ash cleared his throat and made sure his face was clear, before accepting the call.

"Ash Ketchum speaking."

A man suddenly appeared on-screen with a wide-smile. He had an orange Hawaiian-shirt on with white flower, and his trademark glasses. Somehow, seeing him reminded Ash of the less-stressful days, where battling was just a hobby.

"Ash, you're looking strong as ever," the well-rounded man said jovially. Ash gave him a small-smile.

"It's excellent to see you too, Scott. What brings your face to my screen?"

Scott chuckled. "Funny you should ask. I'm in the area, and I was hoping to speak with you about something that might interest you. Mind if I stop by?"

Ash smiled. "You're always welcome, Scott, you know that. I owe you."

"It's still polite to ask. I'll be by soon."

As fast as he'd called, he hung up, leaving Brock rather surprised, and Ash somewhat excited.

"What was that about?" Brock asked.

"That," Ash said, his face growing into a small smile, "might be the next tournament I enter."

* * *

**Oh no, it's another short Author's Note! Don't I ever go away?**

**Fact is, if you're reading this, you made it to the end of the chapter. Hopefully, it didn't suck too much... **

**Either way, I now need you to let me know who should enter the tournament, which types they should use, and whether or not you want Kai to stick around as a recurring character. NOT a main protagonist, but as a somewhat repetitive character who Ash rarely speaks with. He's not a Mary-Sue, people, no fears. **

**Anyways, final thing I need from you, should the tournament involve trainers only using one core type, example, Ash using Charizard, Infernape, Quilava, Torkoal, Fletchender, and something else, but fire-type being his core type, or should it be divided into each round, a scoreboard determines what trainer has to use what type? **

**Let me know! **

**Thanks guys, I really do appreciate the support... rock on!**


	2. Settings the Rules

Disclaimer: Low and behold, I still do not own Pokémon.

**A/N: So don't worry, this message won't nearly be as long as chapter 1's message. Simply put, thank you to every review I garnered on the last chapter. I'll be responding to the reviews at the bottom, unless I sent you a message. Cause I usually do that if I can. But if I can't, then I do it this way. Anyways, so there's still some kinks to work out with the overlay of the tournament and I'm literally testing each layout to see which one is most interesting and best suited. It sounds like it's real, right? **

**Good. At the end, you'll find the multiple layouts, so just vote on one of those if you could. And keep up those votes for the ship! I got a few messages in, along with reviews, and so far, there's no distinct leader, but that's not to say that can't change! Thanks guys, enjoy chapter 2!**

* * *

Ash had met some interesting characters in his day; his entire Pokémon Journey was marked by the strangest of those- Jessie, James and Meowth each were their own definition of 'unique'. They were interesting because as bad as they could be, Ash found they usually meant well deep deep down, and Ash honestly wondered if they had ever stolen Pikachu, only to see how bad Giovanni treated it, if they wouldn't end up feeling bad and stealing him back.

Then there was Cassie, the Electabuzz fangirl, and the girl who seemed to have a unhealthy obsession for yellow Pokémon. There was also Brock. It was very hard to forget how he interacted with women- no matter how long he'd known them, he'd be there to try and seduce them. Even if some of them weren't even single.

Kai had already made his own personal carving on that 'interesting character' list in Ash's mind, as the champion of Kanto had observed the slightly younger trainer's interactions with his Pokémon. For one, he seemed to "speak" with them. It was weird- it was a majority of growling and low guttural sounds that seemed to sound like he was a choking victim, but yet, his Pokémon responded. Although, it didn't necessarily seem like they _understood _him, per say. More or less, it was something close to what he and Pikachu had- a close enough bond, along with enough time together to somewhat understand one another. The sounds were probably just an attempt to make the Pokémon feel more relaxed.

Perhaps, Ash figured to himself, that was Kai's approach to training, just as he himself would take a very hands-on approach to learning new tactics. At 18, it was difficult to tell the age difference, but it was even harder to tell the difference in their training, seeing as how they had been equal for a majority of the battle. Ash couldn't help but be slightly impressed- impressed enough to look up his resume.

"So, he's collected all the gym-badges from Kanto, Johto, Sinnoh, Hoenn, and Unova, but didn't venture into Kalos. Interesting. He's placed fairly well in those conferences, too. Top 8 in Sinnoh and Hoenn, Top 16 in Unova, but winner of Johto and Kanto both." Obviously, Ash knew that Kai had won in Kanto- the only way he was able to challenge Ash to a battle was if he'd won the Indigo Conference. Before facing Ash though, he also had to defeat the Elite Four.

Ash hummed as he looked into the more personal life files. "Hm, he's related to Flannery? Cousins? I don't see the resemblance at all- must be distant."

True enough, Flannery had red hair and a personality to match. Kai, on the other hand, had long brown hair and seemed rather quiet, although, it was hard to miss his fiery passion during the battle. Plus, he did use a Typhlosion who was undoubtedly his starting Pokémon, so perhaps the resemblance was there after all.

"Father arrested when he was six... for disturbing the peace and having possession of illegal substances? Later found dead in prison, before his trial. His mother was heart-broken for the longest time and was found dead just eighteen months later. Wow. No wonder he didn't have anyone in the viewing booth- he didn't have anyone there..." Ash mumbled to himself.

Feeling a bubble of emotion, Ash quickly closed the files and closed his laptop- he'd done enough prying for the day. Usually he felt bad about such a thing, but seeing the way he'd interacted with his Pokémon- Typhlosion, most specifically- brought out the urge to see what could establish such a bond. Ash knew a bond like that was only forged through one thing.

Heart-break.

It was exactly how Ash had overcome the final barrier to become so strong.

"Hey, Ash, you here?"

The voice startled Ash out of his thoughts, causing the young champion to almost jump in surprise. He hadn't realized he'd been so deep in his thoughts that he wouldn't hear the ding of the elevator.

"Yes, I'm in the living room," Ash called out. A shuffling was heard and into view came a large man with a face that emitted constant joy. A grin crossed his face, and seemed to be infectious enough to spread to Ash's face. "Good to see you, Scott. It's been awhile."

"It certainly has," Scott said, taking a seat on the couch. "I've been fairly busy with renovations to the Johto Battle Frontier, and even more so with the recent planning of the newest tournament."

Ash leaned forward, his interest peaked. "New tournament? I've heard rumors of something- some reporter asked me about a tournament involving types?"

Scott grinned- with Ash knowing something, it only made it more fun to play around with. "That's the one! Tournament of the 18 Types."

"I see." Ash paused, and pressed a beacon on his belt. Scott looked at it curiously, but said nothing as radio static filled the air. After a moment, a crackling voice came out, but cleared.

"Yes?"

"Brock; Scott's arrived. I figured you might want to hear this- bring Kai along, too. I figured a trainer of his pedigree may be interested in taking part."

Brock responded in acceptance, and cut the transmission. Ash turned to Scott, and offered him something to drink.

"I'll take some Oran Juice, if you have it. I can't seem to get enough," Scott commented happily. Ash chuckled. He stood up and walked over to the kitchen area, going into the fridge.

"So, Scott, what sort of renovations are you doing to the Johto Frontier?"

Scott shrugged, but realized Ash couldn't see it. "Well, other regions are starting to pick up the fact that battles never should end- and they're opening up their own constant battling areas. For instance, the Battle Chateau in Kalos, or the Subway Battle System in Unova. Both of those are interesting events that keep trainers coming in. While the Battle Frontier of both Johto and Sinnoh is number one, and unparalleled, I'd still like to keep them in top shape, so that just in case something new pops up, we'll be ready to dethrone it before it takes over number one."

Ash walked back over and handed Scott a glass, and motioned for him to continue.

Scott took a sip, then spoke. "Though there aren't any big changes, we are testing the expansion of facilities, and considering adding new ones. We haven't done so yet, but the chance is there to add at least two facilities to each Frontier. Of course... they'd need some sort of meaning. After all, the point of the Battle Frontier is to battle in a unique way."

"Who do you plan to add to the battling cast?" Ash asked interested. He could think of a few powerful trainers he'd met throughout the day that would likely be interested.

Scott thought for a second. "Most likely, anyone who's previously beaten the Frontier in the past. Which, aside from you, is not many. Paul of Veilstone City is one I've been considering. Although... his rather ruthless attitude is not the best influence for trainers looking to get stronger. Especially if he beats them- they'll question their morales."

"I didn't," Ash said simply, to which Scott grinned.

"You're stubborn, though. Not everyone is."

"He's gotten better," Ash defended.

Scott agreed. "But still, not the best when it comes to this stuff. It's all from a business standpoint, Ash. I know you know what I mean."

Ash was silent; he fully agreed with Scott. He just didn't want to speak down upon Paul like that. Despite the differences the two had in Sinnoh, Paul had proved he was capable of change, as he slowly adjusted to treating his Pokémon with a basis of respect and even love. The only problem was, he still battled far too hard and on the edge for Ash to fully consider him changed. He also still lost his temper quite easily.

"Either way," Scott said, snapping Ash out of thinking once again. "I have a few decisions and choices, so I'm not too worried. I can hold an audition to see who would be the best. Perhaps this tournament is exactly what I need to find some new recruits," Scott said with a laugh.

Just then, the doors that led to the infirmary and battlefield emitted a low ding, and two figures walked out- some more scorched than others.

Ash raised an eyebrow as he gave Kai a quick look-over. All in all, the young trainer was burned lightly, and even a bit wounded, as it seemed, but didn't seem too badly hurt as he had a giant grin on his face. The soot that had likely come from a certain starter-Pokémon from Johto was quickly rubbed off by a rag Brock handed him.

"Uh, sorry, things got a little riled in there." Ash accepted the explanation silently, and gestured to Scott, who made his presence known.

The large man stuck out his hand, which Kai accepted easily.

"Hello; I'm Scott, founder of the Sinnoh, Johto and Hoenn Battle Frontier. I'm also one of the members of the Pokémon Board. It's nice to meet you."

Kai seemed rather taken aback by all of Scott's titles, and merely shook his hand with a slack jaw. "I, uh, I'm Kai. I come from Johto..."

"What are your accolades?" Scott asked politely, seeing the trainer needed a jump-start.

"Oh!" Kai said, seemingly realizing what Scott actually wanted to hear. "I won both the Silver and Indigo Conference, I placed Top 8 in the Lily of the Valley Conference, and also Top 8 in the Ever Grande Conference. But I only placed Top 16 in the Vertress Conference."

Despite his humbleness in his performance, Scott raised an eyebrow, obviously slightly impressed with his accomplishments. The large man nodded once and shot Kai a quick grin that confused the young man.

"Then you deserve to hear what I have to say," Scott said. "Let's get to business. Ash. You wanted to know what the Tournament of the 18 Types was? I'll tell you. It's supposed to be the biggest and best tournament in the entire six core regions, and even that of the side regions. Orre, Fiore, Almia, and even Oblivia all plan on being included in this tournament, and it's going to be designed so that it's the most challenging experience for any trainer. Even a champion such as yourself, Ash, or someone like Steven Stone, will have a difficult time."

"Why's that?" Brock asked, genuinely curious with the design of the tournament. He, nor Ash, could exactly see why this tournament was going to be so difficult for even champions to win.

Scott seemed to be waiting for this, because he launched right into another round of explanations, after he'd polished off the rest of his juice, and sighed contently. "Well, for one, the name says it all. 18 types. There are 18 types a Pokémon can be, correct?"

"Yeah...?" Ash said.

"Although the final set-up for the battle hasn't been confirmed yet, so far, you're forced to use a certain type each battle. For instance, the first round might be two-on-two, single battle. Let's say Ash and Kai battle. The way things are set up now, Ash would be alerted an hour before his battle what type he'd be using- which could be fire, or electric, or something else. It could be any type. Even more, you won't be alerted to what type your opponent will be using. So you could get fire, but they could get water. You'd never know- not until the battle starts, anyways."

"So it essentially puts the stress on the trainer- not the Pokémon," Brock said.

"What do you mean?" Scott asked. Ash couldn't help but notice the small smirk Scott was trying to hide- meaning, this was a goal of this tournament specifically, as well.

"Most big Pokémon tournaments pit trainer against trainer, but they're all based upon relative skill. You'll never see a rookie trainer making it to the top spot. Usually, it's a high-level gym leader, any Elite Four, and the Champions, with the occasional high calibre trainer. But, for instance, you wouldn't see me going against Cynthia in the final round." As he spoke, Brock couldn't help but admit the set-up was genius. It took away the predictability factor and made the battles all the more interesting.

"That all may be true," Scott commented idly. "But that doesn't put stress on the trainer."

"It does when you factor that the Pokémon aren't going to be the ones forced to adjust- for once, their power won't be measured. It'll be on the trainers to adjust in-battle, and pick a balanced team ready for anything. You can have all the power in the world, all the experience in the world... but if you can't adjust to a type-disadvantage, you're better off not even showing up. Am I right?" Ash glanced at Scott, gauging his face for a reaction. To no one's surprise, Scott grinned again and nodded.

"You're spot on, Ash." Scott stood up and stretched out, before walking around a bit. He stopped at the large window that overlooked the battlefield, which had long since been vacated. The clean-up crew now raced to get the field back into battling shape, and make the stadium seem presentable. "The fact is, most trainers nowadays rely on the Pokémon more than themselves. So, this tournament can make a decent trainer good, a great trainer bad, and a bad trainer worse. Adjustment- that's what this is about. Power and infinite training isn't everything, especially if you have no way of countering something less favorable. Circumstances are rarely in your favor. Especially since we can just look up what Pokémon some trainer has in their possession and see what they commonly use in big battles and plan from there."

"Usual tournaments usually require adjustment, though." Ash knew his point was moot- he just wanted to hear Scott's continued explanation.

And he got exactly that. "Yes, but you have a built system. Tell me, Ash. When you battled Kai today, what did you make sure you had?"

"A balanced team."

"Exactly. A balanced team isn't adjusting- it's just match-ups. You might train your Pokémon to handle a type-disadvantage, but that's the extent of it. They HANDLE it, until they're switched out, or knocked out. Most times, that Pokémon has to be hurt previously to win. That's why we're doing this. It comes down to the bond between trainer and Pokémon." Scott turned back to the three men. "It comes down to you, the trainer."

A silence settled over the room as everyone absorbed the information provided. For two trainers, their hearts began to race at the prospect of participating in such a prestigious event, and battling among everyone to prove they were legitimately a Pokémon Master. After all, how was someone to deny the title of Pokémon Master to someone who could overcome every obstacle in a battle where you were specifically tested to be defeated. You were purposely put in a position to lose.

Brock finally decided to break the silence as a thought occurred to him.

"So how do you prevent someone from winning that doesn't deserve to win? What if someone constantly gets the advantage in type?"

Scott chucked almost ominously. "Oh, don't worry about that. You're purposely going to be put to the trial. In order to advance through preliminaries, you _must _have the advantage once, you must have a disadvantage once, and then you must battle on even grounds. Like, a ghost-type versus a normal type, or something along those lines. Even having the same types go against one another. We have contingency plans in case someone tries to rig the matches, as well."

Ash couldn't help but admit Scott was good. Like, really good. So good, in fact, that he was almost scared that Scott was some sort of super-spy, since he'd covered almost every base possible that a trainer could stand to gain an edge with. That left only the threat of basic cheating techniques, such as a trainer being told what type he'd be using far in advance of his/her battle.

Still, in the end, it wouldn't help overly much. If they did end up getting help from the outside, then it would inevitably be caught. Ash knew Scott stood for battles that were fair, and if he caught wind of _any_ cheating, those responsible would be thrown out immediately by the normally jovial man.

"I must say, Scott, I'm impressed," Ash finally said. Scott did a mock bow and chuckled lowly.

"I try my best, Ash. We're still ironing out the kinks, and there's always time for an overhaul to how the battles will be structured, but in the end, it looks like this is how we'll be playing it."

Kai, who had been silent for the most part, finally spoke up.

"How many people do you plan on inviting?"

Scott shrugged. "There are qualifications; you must either have collected at least 16 badges, be a trainer of high notoriety- like a gym leader-, you have to have collected 10 ribbons for all those coordinators, or I'm thinking something along the lines of at least two symbols or prints from any Battle Frontier. Just in case they don't get to travel much. Other than that, only a letter of recommendation will allow for entry. And that letter must come from some notable source."

Kai nodded, accepting the rules. Ash knew he couldn't have been asking for himself- after all, it was evidently clear Kai qualified. No, he must have been asking on regards to someone else- possibly someone else he knew.

"It's not like we want to prevent people from entering," Scott said with a hint of guilt in his voice. "But this is going to be broadcasted to every region. People are already buying subscriptions and gearing up for this. It has the potential to be the biggest event in the history of battling, because of how good you have to be. This isn't your average tournament- this is something of a whole different scale."

"I've got a question," Brock said, standing up. "What of the trainers who don't have another type? For instance, I train only rock types, and I know a lot of gym leaders would share the same sentiments. What then?"

Scott frowned slightly. Ash had to admit- it was a good question. The tournament was excellent for well-rounded trainers, such as himself, because he'd traveled to enough regions to collect a sizable amount of Pokémon. But what of the gym-leaders, and even Elite Four who didn't have that liberty of specializing in more than one type? Were they expected to just forfeit?

"That's not a bad point you make, Brock. It certainly makes things a bit harder now. It wouldn't be fair to delegate them immune to the rule... but it also isn't good if they can't compete. I'll have to think about that one."

A sharp ding interrupted any possible train of thought from going through Scott's head. All four men turned toward the source of the loud, obnoxious noise, only two knowing what it was. Brock immediately began to move toward the doorway, his face seeming much more relaxed than it had when he first had gone into that room earlier.

"Kai, come with me." Brock's voice came from the room, prompting Kai to almost strain to hear it. "Your Pokémon are all healed up and ready to go."

Kai jumped up, immediately racing into the room. A ghost of a smile played upon Ash's lips, but he decided against the unnecessary smile. Even though he was glad the trainer's Pokémon were okay, he knew there was no need for him to be excited on his part. The young Johto-native seemed to take care of that excitement.

As Ash moved to go into the room to check on his own Pokémon, a hand firmly placed itself on his shoulder, holding him in place.

"Ash."

The tone Scott used was uncommon for the large man, being filled with uncertainty and hesitance. Ash couldn't help but meet his eyes, and for the first time since meeting the entrepreneur, Ash noticed the age his face reflected. His eyes, though warm and welcoming, held a deep regret and sadness for the ones he'd lost in his time. His face wore the marks of his age like badges of war, though, there was no pride in the creases upon his flesh.

"I know this isn't exactly for me to say." Scott seemed somewhat interested in anything but Ash's eyes. "But you need to visit your mother. It's been... too long, since your last visit."

Ash turned away.

"Before you register for the tournament, I fully expect to see you in that room." Scott's face then softened. "It ain't easy, kid. But if you don't do this, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

Scott gave Ash no time to answer, deciding to let himself out, leaving the trainer of Pallet standing in his living room, wondering when life had stopped being about where his next journey would be.

* * *

**So this was a relatively short chapter. Basically, the point of it was to establish what the tournament is about, whilst also giving you a chance to throw in your two cents! That's right! I want to hear from you involving how you think the tourney should be set up! Mind you, I do have a plan, but I honestly want to please you guys, so I want to incorporate some ideas in here. **

**You've got choices, but here's what is set. 4 trainers will be set into a division. In that division, you battle each trainer once. You will battle against one trainer with a disadvantage, one with the advantage, and then the last one on neutral ground. The trainer who has the most wins/points after that will advance to the preliminary rounds where the battling really beings.**

**From there, we have scenarios: **

**1) Every battle, the trainer is given a specific (and random) type they must use. For instance, if the battle is three-on-three, and Ash is given the type of Water, he must use three Pokémon that each are at least partially water-typed. He'd only be warned an hour prior to battle, and he would not know what his opponent drew until the battle started. **

**2) A trainer is forced to draw from his arsenal of all available Pokémon as the battle ensues. For instance, Ash and Gary battle. Ash spins the wheel, and he draws a fire-type, so he must select one fire-type from all his available 36 or whatever Pokémon. While Ash spins, Gary spins as well, and does the same, then they reveal their Pokémon at the same time. This could potential off-set an advantage, for instance, Ash might use Pikachu if he drew Electric-type, but if Gary drew water, he might have luckily picked a Quagsire, nullifying the advantage for Ash. This one, however, would change each new Pokémon. ****  
**

**You can also recommend something if you have an idea. I'm definitely feeling scenario one over two, but hey, I like to listen.**

**Don't forget to throw in your supported romance! Thanks guys, and keep on reviewing!**


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